View Full Version : Alaska Cruising: What are your experiences?
Loonbeam requested us to describe some of our Alaska cruise experiences, so here's mine.
I've been fortunate enough to have cruised to Alaska twice. Both were on Celebrity, my favorite big ship (more than a 1,000 passengers) cruise line. The first cruise didn't include a land tour, but the second one did.
With regard to the cruise itself, I found by examining the cruise itineraries, that cruising one way only gave more time in the ports, and enabled you to stop at one extra port, for most cruise lines, than doing a round trip (start/finish at the same port) cruise of the same length of time. I further found that for Celebrity anyway, south bound cruises, from Seward, south, had more time in each port, for land excursions, than north bound cruises.
Most of the cruises stop at the same ports with some offering one or two different stops. Forgetting differences in the cruise lines themselves, my research showed considerably different opportunities offered for shore excursions by the cruise lines. Fortunately, in Alaska, it's not too hard for most potential excursions, to book them yourself, instead of through the cruise line. The problem with that is that many of the really good excursions are very time consuming and will take you right to the departure time of the ship, and personally, I'm booking them only with the cruise line, so if they run late, the ship will still be there. I have been on more than one cruise where passengers didn't make it to the ship on time and had to meet the ship, on their own cash, at the next port.
If anyone wants a critique of my cruise line opinions, I can do that in a separate post. I can also make shore excursion suggestions.
On our second Alaska cruise we took a land tour with the cruise line prior to the cruise and wow was that great. I'm sorry we didn't do it on our first cruise. Does a land tour ever add to the experience! We decided that we probably wouldn't take another Alaska cruise for a long time and decided to do this one well. Our land tour started in Fairbanks and went to Denali, Talkeetna, and Anchorage.
Out of Fairbanks, we took a plane trip over the Arctic Circle up to Arctic Gateway National Park. This was a fabulous trip. We also took the river boat there which everyone takes. From Fairbanks we took the famous Alaska Railway down to Denali in those fabulous double decker observation cars. They served a great breakfast in the lower level of the car. Each cruise line has there own cars. Celebrity's and Princesses were among the best of the cars, but they all seemed very good. Denali was spectacular. We took a ski-plane ride to a glacier on Denali itself. It was an incredible flight. In Talkeetna we went white water rafting down the Nenana River. What a great ride! We went to the wonderful Anchorage Art Museum while there. Al along the way we saw many incredible sights. One of the perks of having taken the land tour was that our luggage was taken ahead of us from Anchorage and was in our stateroom by the time we boarded the ship. Everyone on the tour was able to get priority boarding too, as all the paper work for the cruise was completed while on the land tour.
If anyone wants more land tour info, I would be happy to supply that in another post.
wrp96
11-08-2007, 09:12 PM
My one comment is that Loonbeam said he rarely dresses up. Of the lines that do cruise/land tour options in Alaska, I would say that RCCL or Carnival would be the least formal of the cruiselines (NCL is actually the most casual but they aren't doing any one way cruises in 2008 and it is unlikely they will have one in 2009). I think Princess may not be the best option for him if he dislikes dressing up and Celebrity and HAL would definitely not be good options for him.
I think your comments are asute WRP.
One of the reasons I like Celebrity is exactly what Loonbeam doesn't like, it's formal nights and more formal atmosphere than some of the other cruise lines. Princess would be my second choice for the trip, so I agree it's probably not for Loonbeam.
On the other hand, one of the reasons I personally wouldn't take RCCL or Carnival on this trip is their adult/child ratio. I'm guessing it would be very much a lower ratio (many more children) than Celebrity or Princess. I'm at a stage in life where unless I'm traveling with the whole family, if it's just my wife and I, we'd rather be on a ship not catering to, and overflowing with kids.
I do strongly suggest one way Alaska cruises, north or south, are preferred over round trip. I also suggest doing the land tour first, so as to finish the trip on the more relaxing cruise portion, as opposed to the more hectic bus/train portion.
Of course, once one chooses the cruise line, two factors really come into play in choosing the best cruise/land trip. I would look for the best land tour possible from the cruise line chosen, which couples with the cruise which maximizes the number of ports visited, and maximizes the length of time at each one. There are clearly other factors, but I think those are the most important ones.
My one comment is that Loonbeam said he rarely dresses up. Of the lines that do cruise/land tour options in Alaska, I would say that RCCL or Carnival would be the least formal of the cruiselines (NCL is actually the most casual but they aren't doing any one way cruises in 2008 and it is unlikely they will have one in 2009). I think Princess may not be the best option for him if he dislikes dressing up and Celebrity and HAL would definitely not be good options for him.
wrp96
11-08-2007, 10:10 PM
Ned, I've heard that there are much fewer children even on the Carnival cruises to Alaska. I believe it's related to the higher costs of cruising to Alaska.
We've done the Alaska Cruise twice too - both times on the Carnival Spirit. We originally chose that ship in July 2004 because the number of balcony cabins available and the more reasonable charge for them was a prime consideration. We had a large group of family members and all had different financial circumstances.
We had such a great time that another group of cousins went back this past September. The biggest difference was that this time it left from and returned to Vancouver. We also visited Glacier Bay this time - and saw College Fjord the first time. My personal feeling is that College Fjord was much more dramatic and that we got closer to the glacier at that time.
My perception may have been influenced by the weather. It was foggy and misty the day we were in Glacier Bay and sunny and clear the day at College Fjord.
There were more kids on the July 2004 cruise than on the Sept 2007 one, but certainly not anywhere near the number you'd find on the Carnival cruises to warmer spots.
The Alaska cruise is not as formal as some of the others. There were two nights on the Carnival line that were considered formal, but tuxedos and evening gowns were certainly few and far between. Most people dressed up some for dinner each night in the dining room, but not excessively so.
The first trip went from Vancouver to Seward. When we got there, we made our own land tour with rented cars. It didn't make sense to not see more of the State once we were there. We rented cars and explored Anchorage and Seward and Exit glacier first, then drove up to Fairbanks. It's a shock to see how tiny that city is. From Fairbanks we stopped to see the Alaska Pipeline and tried our hand at panning for gold.
Denali is a destination in itself. Some of us did do the whitewater rafting and Ned is right about that! It's an experience. The water is one day away from the glacier. At a calm spot, everyone had the opportunity to get into the water. Even though you are wearing wetsuits, you can still almost feel how cold the water is.
Getting back into the raft wasn't a very graceful operation though...
The roads are good, scenery is great and there is no traffic to speak of once you get out of the city, but the distances are pretty long.
You have to enjoy the long drives in order to appreciate doing it on your own.
The highlight of our travel around was a visit to Matanuska Glacier. It's actually not that far from Anchorage and could be a day trip from there.
It's the one glacier that you can drive right up to, then get out and walk as far as you want.
Hotels outside of Anchorage were modest and reasonable. We actually rented apartments at Denali that were great. The only place I woulnd't recommend is the Gold Miner Hotel in Palmer. We'd chosen that because it was one of the closest to Matanuska Glacier, but it was VERY STRANGE.
I think the only ship sponsored outing we took was the train at Skagway. For the other ports, we read about them ahead of time and found our way to different points of interest.
Relatively speaking compared to other destinations, you're probably correct. Based on personal observation alone, looking at who came off the ships in Alaska, I can tell you that between cruise lines, there were many fewer kids on Celebrity and Princess in Alaska, than RCCL and Carnival. I can also tell you, that on our land tour for that cruise, Celebrity had 3 buses (for the most part each bus traveled independently) and not a single kid on any.
Ned, I've heard that there are much fewer children even on the Carnival cruises to Alaska. I believe it's related to the higher costs of cruising to Alaska.
AaronK
11-09-2007, 06:20 AM
I've never cruised to Alaska, but I have friends that used to live in the Wasilla area (now in Anchorage). I flew up there a couple of times to visit them. On my first trip, we drove out to the Matanuska glacier. We didn't go out to it, but from the stop on the road where we had lunch, we got a great picture. I still use it to this day as my desktop wallpaper.
Aaron, I don't know what time of year you've been to the Anchorage area, but we were there in early August and found the city charming. The city was extremely clean and we loved how they had so many beautiful gardens there and all those hanging flower pots throughout the city just added so much to the landscape. I'd go back to Alaska in a second, but there are so many wonderful places on my list that I haven't visited, that it will probably be a long time until I get there.
I've never cruised to Alaska, but I have friends that used to live in the Wasilla area (now in Anchorage). I flew up there a couple of times to visit them. On my first trip, we drove out to the Matanuska glacier. We didn't go out to it, but from the stop on the road where we had lunch, we got a great picture. I still use it to this day as my desktop wallpaper.
AaronK
11-09-2007, 07:27 AM
My first trip to the Wasilla area was Labor Day weekend back in 2002. My last trip was last year to Anchorage during the solstice. I was very happy to be back in Seattle (where I overnighted on the way home). I didn't realize how much I missed "dark".
Whereas, my dad and stepmom did a cruise/landtour this summer. They said the cruise part was great, but the landtour was a waste of time. They didn't get to see too much due to the bus scheduling. They also said that it appeared that the hotels weren't prepared for the buses of people being offloaded at the same time.
Relatively speaking compared to other destinations, you're probably correct. Based on personal observation alone, looking at who came off the ships in Alaska, I can tell you that between cruise lines, there were many fewer kids on Celebrity and Princess in Alaska, than RCCL and Carnival. I can also tell you, that on our land tour for that cruise, Celebrity had 3 buses (for the most part each bus traveled independently) and not a single kid on any.
It also depends on the time of year that you travel. When we went on Carnival in September, I don't think there were even 10 kids total. Most of the passsengers seemed to be in their 50s, 60s and many much more than that.
If you elect to travel at a time when the kids have just gone back to school, you'll probably have few of them along, but will also have a much older crowd in general.
I hadn't thought about that. You're certainly correct.
The last time we took a Caribbean cruise we specifically choose the end of January-early February to eliminate the chance of kids. On a ship of about 2,000 there were fewer than 20 kids and they were all preschool.
It also depends on the time of year that you travel. When we went on Carnival in September, I don't think there were even 10 kids total. Most of the passsengers seemed to be in their 50s, 60s and many much more than that.
If you elect to travel at a time when the kids have just gone back to school, you'll probably have few of them along, but will also have a much older crowd in general.
Loonbeam
11-09-2007, 09:54 AM
Wow - thanks for all the input. Kids are not an issue, we like em (heck, my original career path was as a Camp Director). I will assume that even the ships with formal dining have non-formal options at those times?
wrp96
11-09-2007, 12:04 PM
Almost all lines will have a buffet open for dinner if you don't want to go to the main dining room, but it's not just about the non-formal dining options. On some of the lines such as HAL and Celebrity if you want to be out and about in any of the public lounges, etc then you have to conform to the dress code for the evening.
It also depends on what your definition of dress up is. For some people dressing up is wearing anything other than shorts and a t-shirt which wouldn't even work as casual in the main dining room on Carnival/RCCL, much less Princess, HAL, or Celebrity. On RCCL for example, on a 7 night cruise you'll have casual nights and 2 formal nights. On casual nights the minimum dress for a man is pants and a shirt (polo shirt for example). On formal nights it's a suit and tie or a tuxedo (probably about 50-50 on the split). On formal nights though, on RCCL, if you don't want to go to the buffet or dress up, you could opt to go to the specialty restaurants (pay restaurants), where it's always smart casual (pants and a button up shirt, maybe a tie or jacket).
wrp96
11-09-2007, 12:06 PM
They said the cruise part was great, but the landtour was a waste of time. They didn't get to see too much due to the bus scheduling. They also said that it appeared that the hotels weren't prepared for the buses of people being offloaded at the same time.
If at all possible, I recommend people do an independent landtour in Alaska. That way you have control over your timing in each place and aren't waiting on a bus load of people at each stop. It's very easy in Alaska to tailor things to your own needs.
And Ned, thanks for the complements on my hometown, Anchorage.
Loonbeam
11-09-2007, 12:32 PM
Generally speaking, on vacation, polo shirt and slacks or maybe a button down is as far as I want to go on a regular basis. I don't mind dressing up one night (for example, when we do disney, Victoria and Alberts is a must).
As far as the independent tour, any suggestions? We're looking at the package as the cost seems lower than what I have found, 07 and 08 have/will be expensive years vacation wise.
bodega
11-09-2007, 01:01 PM
On RCCL, I have seen men in very causal wear each evening in the dining room. As long as you are not wearing shorts, there shouldn't be a problem. On our last cruise a man wore demin bib overalls every day and evening. While he was the buzz of the wait staff, he wasn't ever turned away. With our last cruise, we traveled with several friends and the evenings that the men wore ties, they removed them once seated with a bit of fun and smiles from our waiter and bus boy.
On HAL, they turned away a friend of my mother's at the door of the dining room for wearing a culotte outfit. For those who don't know what a culotte is, it looks like a shirt, but has legs like pants. The outfit was quite formal, ended just below her knees, was made of silk. However, the head waiter said it was shorts and she must change.
Loonbeam
11-09-2007, 01:11 PM
As a more overall question, does the cruise location seem to affect the general dress code? For example, even on the same line, might Europe be a little more formal than say Alaska, or the Carribean?
(we're planning on booking as soon as rates are released in 08, so expect lots of questions - of course, we're using a TA as well, but I believe in TANSTAUI.. There aint no such thing as useless information)
Excellent question. I've found the answer is no, with some occasional exceptions for specific itineraries. For example, the Celebrity Galapagos cruise is informal, period.
That being said, the shorter the cruise the fewer formal nights, for those that still have them. Formal wear is not required, but a tie and jacket on those nights is.
That being said, I have found that after dinner, people get at least partly out of the tux or suit to walk the deck, go to the show, go dancing in the disco, etc., and in the casino, as long as you're spending your money no one cares, but on a Princess or Celebrity ship, jeans and shorts in the evening, walking anywhere on the ship is at best frowned on, but a nice golf shirt and slacks is fine.
There are dinner options available on these ships. On Celebrity, for example, there is usually a buffet dinner, room service, a pizza area near the buffet, as well as a hamburger area near there too, but most people do eat in the main dining room for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are buffet, although for breakfast anyway, you can usually get a sit down served breakfast in the main dining room.
Big L., as I've said, and others, I'd bet you'd be happier on RCCL or Carnival than Celebrity or Princess based on what you've told us thus far.
Keep the questions coming, especially when you start getting to the nitty-gritty decision time.
As for a private land tour, versus the cruise line tour, I would put in some caveats.
With the cruise line tour, you are assured you won't miss the sailing
I wouldn't go on any tour in Alaska unless it included the Alaska Railroad experience
Any tour I would want in Alaska would have to include at least the following:
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Denali (minimum of Ranger bus tour - if not hiking in the park too)
A glacier
Whitewater rafting
One of the best things about the cruise line tour is they take care of everything for you including your luggage. That pampering was worth the every once in a while short delay if someone didn't make the bus.My experience on the cruise line tour was extremely positive. We only had 20 people on our full sized tour bus. We all bonded quickly and peer pressure made sure that everyone was on time. Several times we requested extra time at a sight and got it. While Celebrity ran 3 buses while we were there, they were run as independent tours, so we never waited for any other bus. We got to see everything we wanted to see, and because of the structure of the tour, there was plenty of time to schedule special side trips through the cruise line or on our own, which we did, which included a bear watching, a ski plane which landed on a glacier on Denali (Mt. McKinley) (Denali is the park and the mountain.), white water rafting, fishing, and a couple of other things too.
By the way, during the cruise we took excursions including:
A jeep tour where we did our own driving and were connected via radio with our guide, into the Yukon mountains in Canada.
A whale watching boat ride.
A bear watching boat ride and hike.
A helicopter ride to various glaciers, including landing on one.
A ride on the Roberts Tramway and hike at the top in Juneau
A sea canoe paddle in Ketchikan
etc.
As a more overall question, does the cruise location seem to affect the general dress code? For example, even on the same line, might Europe be a little more formal than say Alaska, or the Carribean?
(we're planning on booking as soon as rates are released in 08, so expect lots of questions - of course, we're using a TA as well, but I believe in TANSTAUI.. There aint no such thing as useless information)
Loonbeam
11-09-2007, 05:25 PM
Hmm, I looked at Celebrity and I actually like their cruisetour options a little more than Princess. I'm looking at #15, to use as a baseline.
Ned makes excellent points about why to use the cruise line for the tour, and the pampering part is a big selling point.
I'll do more research on Celebrity with wife and TA :)
wrp96
11-09-2007, 05:37 PM
Loonbeam, I will tell you to look at RCCL if you are interested in the Celebrity cruise tours. RCCL and Celebrity run their cruisetours together in Alaska. Celebrity's tour # 15 is the same as RCCL's tour # 15.
Loonbeam
11-09-2007, 05:43 PM
Oooh, good info :)
You beat me to that one WRP. L., based on your desire for informality, I do think that RCCL would most likely be a better bet for you.
Loonbeam, I will tell you to look at RCCL if you are interested in the Celebrity cruise tours. RCCL and Celebrity run their cruisetours together in Alaska. Celebrity's tour # 15 is the same as RCCL's tour # 15.
CruiseExpert
11-09-2007, 08:45 PM
Loonbeam you're getting great information; I would add the White Pass and Yukon Railway in Skagway to must do excursions.
CE, I've taken the White Pass train ride, and I've taken the jeep trip into the Canadian Yukon Mountains, both out of Skagway. If one has the opportunity to do the jeep trip (it's a longer trip (hours) than the train) I'd take the jeep trip over the train. You get to see much more of the area, and the views are just as spectacular.
Loonbeam you're getting great information; I would add the White Pass and Yukon Railway in Skagway to must do excursions.
CruiseExpert
11-09-2007, 09:41 PM
CE, I've taken the White Pass train ride, and I've taken the jeep trip into the Canadian Yukon Mountains, both out of Skagway. If one has the opportunity to do the jeep trip (it's a longer trip (hours) than the train) I'd take the jeep trip over the train. You get to see much more of the area, and the views are just as spectacular.
I've also done the Summit by scooter a couple of times in 1987 before the Trains and Jeep excursions were available. Let me tell you, it's a lot more fun coming down. As you said, the views are spectacular.
wrp96
11-09-2007, 09:53 PM
I have a question for you guys about the White Pass Railroad. I've just heard mention of it in passing, but most people love it. My one question is I have also heard that if you have issues with heights it might not be the best thing to do. Is this true?
If you can fly on a plane and look out of the window, I'd bet you'll have no problem looking out of the window of the train. Some people get on the platforms at the end of the cars and are therefore outside watching the scenery go by. That's what I did. Someone afraid of heights should not do that. These are not open train coaches. They're as if they're from the 1800s but they are enclosed. Have you ever seen "Little House on the Prairie?" They're similar to the train cars in that TV show.
Here's a photo showing the cars in the Pass.
http://www.toltecimages.com/trains/2097.jpg
I have a question for you guys about the White Pass Railroad. I've just heard mention of it in passing, but most people love it. My one question is I have also heard that if you have issues with heights it might not be the best thing to do. Is this true?
Here are some pictures from the trip.
You do NOT go over the wooden bridge that you see here.
http://tdew.smugmug.com/share/dFDyDnSVgq0dw
The most amazing thing was seeing the trail that the gold seekers took and listening to the amount of supplies that they were required to bring with them.
wrp96
11-09-2007, 10:41 PM
Thanks Ned. That picture makes me think it might not be the best option for me, but I have a few months to steel myself up for it.
wrp96
11-09-2007, 10:44 PM
Here are some pictures from the trip.
You do NOT go over the wooden bridge that you see here.
http://tdew.smugmug.com/share/dFDyDnSVgq0dw
Picture number 4 is the kind of thing that worries me.
Here's the thing though, it's really like sitting in a plane and looking down. You're behind a wall, behind glass. Sure there's a big drop, but driving along route 1 in CA is much the same thing, or through many mountain passes.
There are plenty of other excursion to do in and around Skagway too, plus when you get there, if you like shopping, it's a little like a small St. Thomas; same shops. That's the part of Skagway that I don't like myself. The first time I was there, there were very few shops. It looked a lot more like it did during the gold rush, but a lot of people love it, when you look at the number of people not just in the stores, but purchasing the merchandise.
Are you signed up for an Alaska cruise at this point?
Picture number 4 is the kind of thing that worries me.
wrp96
11-10-2007, 12:49 AM
Are you signed up for an Alaska cruise at this point?
Yes, I'm going on one at the end of May. The thing is I don't have a problem on planes but I have had problems driving up mountains, etc. I'll keep thinking about it and may talk myself into going.
Picture number 4 is the kind of thing that worries me.
You don't look down at that particular spot.
You can sit in the aisle seat and look out over the scenery, instead of the window seat - or even sit on the other side of the car.
The seating is 2 seats on either side of an aisle. When you get to the summit, the procedure is for everyone to switch seats, so that those who were on the inside seats on the way up, get a chance to be on the outside going down. I bet no one would mind not making the switch.
Terry has a great idea, if you feel you have to go on the train. Sit on the side opposite the views to insulate yourself more.
Moreover, their are many potential shore excursions out of Skagway. You haven't said which cruise line you'll be on, but here's a sampling of what might be available from your cruise line (It's generally possible to book on your own too for Alaska shore excursions. If the timing is at all tight, however, I'd only book through the cruise line. I found the price differential wasn't very much, and if for some reason an excursion has to be cancelled, excursions booked in advance, on your own, might be hard to get your money back.):
Chilkoot Trail Hike & Taiya River Float Trip
Dog Sledding & Glacier Flightseeing
Eagle Preserve Float Trip & Lynn Fjord Cruise
Eagle Preserve Wildlife High Speed Boat River Adventure
Ghosts & Goodtime Girls: Historical Walking Tour (Pretty hokey, but can be fun)
Glacier Country Flightseeing
Glacier Discovery by Helicopter (Probably not for you, but I really enjoyed this one.)
Glacier Point Wilderness Safari
Gold Fever Adventure
Golden Glassblowing Experience (Pretty neat demonstration)
Haines Wilderness Kayak Adventure & Cruise
Horseback Riding Adventure (A favorite of mine)
Klondike Bicycle Tour (15 miles)
Klondike Rock Climbing & Rappelling (Novice level, so not great for anyone who climbs often)
Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Experience (People who have gone on this one tell me they were bored, but they might not have been representative)
Salmon Bake & Gold Rush Trail Camp (Great salmon, but other than that...)
Wildlife River Adventure & CruiseThese are the ones which don't involve driving up summits, valleys, or the railroad. As you can see, there is plenty to do if you would feel uncomfortable on the train. Some of these are tremendous excursions. There's also the National Park Service Tour of the Town, if they're still doing it.
Yes, I'm going on one at the end of May. The thing is I don't have a problem on planes but I have had problems driving up mountains, etc. I'll keep thinking about it and may talk myself into going.
Loonbeam
11-10-2007, 12:22 PM
And to think, the reason I picked this trip was it was going to be a low planning one :)
I love your quote.
Personally, I never met a cruise yet, that didn't take a lot of planning unless you intend to stay aboard during the whole trip, and even then, there's lots of choices and planning to make.
The thing is, there are so many choices on most cruises once you've chosen your destination, from the 1st choice, the cruise line itself, to what kind of stateroom, to which cruise and which ship, to what shore excursions, etc., etc., etc., that I've found cruises just might be the most intensively planned trips of all, while on the surface it would seem that the cruise line takes care of everything. Well in essence they do take care of everything, but only within the myriad of choices you've made before you climb aboard.
Keep us all in the loop and we'll help, eh - er confuse, you more. :cool:
And to think, the reason I picked this trip was it was going to be a low planning one :)
NW CTC
11-11-2007, 04:50 PM
My 6-cents worth here, Loonbeam -
1) In my experience, dress on Alaska cruises is more informal - not sloppy but informal.
2) Celebrity's ships have a unique propulsion system that allows them to achieve higher speeds, thus allowing more time in port. For an Alaska cruise, this makes a substantial difference. I've done a couple of cruises to Alaska (and would go again, in a heartbeat) and, for a large ship experience, really enjoyed Celebrity. And yes, they do have casual dining options that were quite enjoyable when we sailed on the Infinity.
3) Do book a balcony stateroom. There's too much to see and too many hours of daylight in which to see it - to cheat yourself out of watching a pod of whales in your bathrobe (or whatever).
4) Consider as well a small-ship cruise. The smaller ships allow a more leisurely, spontaneous experience that can be very gratifying. If you go this route, ship selection is all important; what's right for one is all wrong for another, so don't just go by your best friend's recommendation or by price. Get a LOT of input, talk with an agent that knows small ships, then make a choice.
5) The White Pass & Yukon is great - absolutely splendid, even if you don't like heights - and I don't! The train takes you far away from civilization faster than you'd think possible. Try to get to the Visitor's Center in Skagway first. In addition to a great little book store and a good walking tour of Skagway, it offers a 30 minute video on the gold rush era in Alaska that will really illuminate the railtrip to come.
6) Don't forget to take a small set of binoculars. You'll use them a lot.
7) Have a wonderful time, whichever line you cruise on and no matter which land experience you choose. Alaska's a fantastic experience - jaw-droppingly huge and dramatic. Enjoy every minute!